"I finally understand why so many Hollywood people are fond of alcohol," Anson joked, despite his teeth chattering from the cold. The other crew members chuckled in response.
But Kate wasn't laughing.
Kate looked at Anson with concern. She was cold too, but after wrapping herself in a blanket and blocking the wind, her stiff muscles began to relax. Now, she was more worried about Anson.
His lips were pale, and his fingers trembled as he held a cup of hot cocoa.
Kate had experienced this before; she knew Anson wasn't in good shape.
"Anson, you need to warm up."
Anson raised his cup of hot cocoa, saying, "Cheers!"
He turned to Noah, giving him a thumbs-up as a sign of thanks, but immediately realized his stiff fingers could barely move. Seeing this, Anson burst out laughing at himself.
Kate shot him a glare.
Anson knew Kate was worried about him and that she still felt guilty for having to adjust the weight of her scenes due to her own physical condition. But in Anson's eyes, Kate was facing far more risks than he was. Yet, she never complained and continued to work diligently.
They were both contributing to this project in their own ways.
Anson said, "Jack... wake up, Jack..." mimicking a heartbreaking scene from Titanic.
Kate rolled her eyes but couldn't hold back a laugh. "Back then, we were filming in a studio pool; it wasn't cold at all. This is a completely different situation."
Anson took another sip of his cocoa. "It just proves that you and Leonardo are amazing actors. Your performances were so convincing."
Kate: ??? Really?
Seeing Kate's tense expression relax, Anson got back to the point. "I'm fine. I'm 20. If I don't take risks now, am I supposed to wait until I'm 30?"
Kate caught the teasing in his tone and slumped her shoulders in mock protest. "Hey, 30 is the new 18, okay?"
Anson laughed. "What I mean is, we should finish shooting as quickly as possible—that's the best way to reduce the pain."
"Honestly, I feel pretty good right now. But if I start running around, I might sweat, and then it'll really get cold when that sweat freezes."
"So, we need to speed this up."
Kate noticed some color returning to Anson's lips and nodded in understanding.
The harsher the conditions, the more focused they had to be. It was the only way to get the job done quickly and avoid being stuck on this freezing beach forever.
"Alright, let's do it again."
Anson chugged the rest of his cocoa, handed the cup to Noah, and shrugged off his blanket. He and Kate walked back to their starting positions outside the camera's view, ready for the next take.
This was a wide, long shot, with the camera positioned far away to capture the vastness of Montauk Beach and the interaction between the two characters. In these tough conditions, sound recording was difficult, and keeping the camera lens clear was just as challenging. Using a wide shot would not only showcase the grandeur of the beach but also highlight the two characters against it.
Michelle, the director, decided to focus on capturing the atmosphere of the scene, leaving the details of expressions and dialogue to the actors' improvisation.
Kate took a deep breath and glanced at Anson.
His jawline was tight, and his muscles, hidden under his coat, were stiff.
Pushing her worries aside, Kate forced herself to concentrate and fully immerse herself in the role. She kept repeating in her head, "This is a theme park, this is a theme park, this is a theme park!"
There was silence over the walkie-talkie.
After a moment of patience, Kate looked at the cameraman.
The camera was aimed, and the red light was on.
Apparently, Michelle had started filming early again.
Kate didn't panic. She exchanged a glance with Anson, who, miraculously, seemed completely relaxed now.
No more cold. No more stiffness. He looked at ease, as if they were on a sunny Caribbean beach, with the raging wind and crashing waves nothing but a gentle breeze.
With a split-second shift, they were both in character.
No matter how cold it was, professionalism demanded that once the cameras rolled, they had to give it 100%.
Kate knew Anson was ready.
Suddenly, the wind howled, and snowflakes, not yet fully frozen, began to fall, covering the world in a misty blanket of white.
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Clementine, full of joy and energy, ran out into the storm, arms wide open and head tilted back, embracing the flurry of snow and wind.
"Haha, hahaha!"
Her laughter filled the air, carried by the roaring wind.
A few steps behind her, Joel followed, looking a bit hesitant, his eyes fixed on Clementine's back.
"Wow, this is awesome!"
Clementine sprinted along the edge of the snowy beach, just ahead of the waves. She laughed as the waves crashed, playfully moving away to avoid getting caught.
From behind, Joel's voice called out, "Be careful, be careful."
Clementine dodged the waves, but to her surprise, Joel, seemingly emboldened, dashed straight into them.
He jumped, landed—
Like a seven-year-old boy jumping into a puddle.
But the ocean isn't a puddle.
Splat.
Joel landed, and the waves showed no mercy, soaking his pants and shoes, leaving him scrambling.
His knees buckled, and he nearly fell, clumsily retreating from the water.
"Hahaha!"
Clementine laughed uncontrollably at the sight, clutching her sides.
Joel saw this and spread his arms, charging toward Clementine like a bomber plane, as if he were about to tackle her like a football player.
Clementine squealed, "Ahh!" and instinctively bent down to grab some snow, trying to throw it at Joel before she could even form a snowball.
But in her panic, the snow scattered aimlessly, not even coming close to hitting Joel.
As Joel looked up at her, Clementine, still laughing, waved her hands in surrender, bouncing away like a rabbit, trying to escape.
Joel, playing along as the big bad wolf, chased after her.
Laughter echoed around them.
Clementine paused mid-chase, her eyes lighting up as she spotted the beach house nearby.
"Our house!"
And just like that, she sprinted toward the cottage.